Sound stages still in demand, but not all of them.

Nearly all the major Hollywood studios are building new sound stages and producers claim that all the facilities in L.A. are booked for months or even years in advance.

But apparently no one has told that to the owners of numerous rental sound stages, many of whom say they aren't really all that busy.

"I don't quite understand all the hype," said Herman David, president of Santa Clarita Studios Corp. "Maybe we have an unlisted phone number and I don't know it."

David, whose facility boasts six 11,520-square-foot sound stages plus offices, screening rooms and other amenities, says business hasn't increased much since the studios opened in 1990.

"A lot of the stories are exaggerated," said Al Makhanian, president of Glendale Studios Inc. "If people are looking for stages, tell them to call us."

Makhanian's two small stages in Glendale are available on short notice. Not only have there been no rate increases at Glendale Studios, Makhanian says he has actually lowered his rates in recent years.

Delfino Sound Stage owner Del Masino says his large 10,580-square-foot stage, where such movies as "Murder in the First" and "Reality Bites" were filmed, is booked up for about three weeks in advance, but activity on his smaller stage is slow. He also says he hasn't raised his rates in years.

"I'm busy, but I don't have people lined up at the door waiting to get in," said Masino.

The fact is, though, there are sound stages and then there are sound stages.

Despite the tremendous demand, there are only certain types of facilities suitable for the kind of high-tech, high-realism production often being done today.

Richard Gentilucci, vice president of real estate with Shamrock Holdings, explain the situation by pointing to "I Love Lucy."

The 1950s sit-com was basically filmed on a single set, with 90 percent of the action taking place in Lucy and Ricky's living room.

Modern sit-coms are filmed all over the place, requiring multiple sets that take up considerably more space in sound stages, Gentilucci said. So TV producers are looking for big stages with 15,000 square feet or more.

"A 10,000- or 12,000-square-foot facility does not work really well for TV today," Gentilucci said.

Movie producers, meanwhile, need warehouse-sized buildings with high ceilings to accommodate the large models used for special effects, or for "flying" camera shots.

As part of that demand, Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. and Universal Studios Inc. are all building or planning to build extensive new sound stages on their studio lots. Two months ago, NBC Studios was given the go-ahead from Burbank city officials for an expansion project that will add six 18,000-square-foot sound stages to its property in the media district.

Meanwhile, Burbank-based Shamrock Holdings will start construction in July on a $77 million project to build 14 huge sound stages in Manhattan Beach, ranging in size from 18,000 to 30,000 square feet each.

Those involved in the construction projects say there remains a critical need for sound stages in L.A. County.

"You talk to anybody who has a position like mine at any studio or network, and they'll tell you their greatest fear is not having any space for production," said Jack O'Neill, vice president of facilities for NBC Studios. "You cannot imagine how serious a problem this is."

O'Neill says TV producers are now forced to pay in advance to reserve sound stages, and they have to book them for a minimum of two years at a time - something that could be disastrous if the pilot fails and there's no longer a need to film it.

And the prices charged by sound stage owners have skyrocketed because of the rising demand created by the need for more programming on cable and new networks.

All of which points to the challenges being faced by the owners of smaller sound stages. But wait, it gets worse.

Many major studios have announced that they will cut down on the number of films produced per year. And as production of big-budget, special effects-laden "event" pictures increases, studios are turning to abandoned warehouses or aircraft hangars to fill needs once accommodated by sound stages.

What all of this means is that while sound stages aren't hurting for business now, the smaller ones aren't nearly as busy as news reports have led people to believe - and when the new, state-of-the-art studios now under construction are finished, it could be tough sledding for the independents.